head to head · open source
n8n vs IronCalc
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars, 60,739 forks, 1,143 open issues and last shipped yesterday. IronCalc has 4,163 stars, 183 forks, 256 open issues and last shipped yesterday. n8n leads on adoption by 4,822% (204,887 vs 4,163 stars). n8n is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; IronCalc is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. n8n has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, IronCalc 4%. n8n was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| n8n | IronCalc | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 205K | ★ 4.2K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 61K | ⑂ 183 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick n8n if
- You weight community size — 205K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick IronCalc if
- You want the IronCalc feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and IronCalc fits your workflow better
About n8n
n8n is a visual workflow automation platform built in TypeScript that combines a drag and drop editor with custom code execution. It lives in the integration and automation ecosystem, positioned as an open alternative to proprietary services like Zapier. Users design multi step workflows—called “n8n flows”—that connect apps, services, and custom logic to automate repetitive tasks.
About IronCalc
IronCalc is a spreadsheet engine and set of tools. It is the main engine of the IronCalc ecosystem, and it lives in the Rust open source spreadsheet ecosystem. The project provides a work in progress engine, an xlsx reader, and an xlsx writer. It is designed to be embedded, self hosted, or run in the browser.
read the full IronCalc overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is n8n or IronCalc more popular?
n8n has 204,887 GitHub stars and IronCalc has 4,163. n8n has the larger community by that measure.
Are n8n and IronCalc free?
Both are open source. n8n has no licence declared in this registry, and IronCalc is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between n8n and IronCalc ?
n8n is written in TypeScript and IronCalc in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, n8n or IronCalc ?
Choose n8n if you want the larger community (204,887 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose IronCalc if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.